Salako's silent protest

JOHN SALAKO grabbed two goals to halt Reading's alarming slide but was still unable to raise a smile, writes NICK IVE.

The winger has been getting a rough ride from Royals fans, but he silenced the boo-boys in perfect fashion.

He was brought back into the fold after a recent spell on the sidelines and responded with two clinical strikes and an excellent overall performance.

His first goal and Royals' second on the stroke of half-time was a stunning curling right-foot effort and he followed it up with a volley shortly after the restart.

There is no doubt the former England ace has suffered a dip in form this season, but his muted celebrations on both occasions on Saturday suggest he is not a happy man.

He declined to talk to the press after the game, simply saying: "I'm not going to say anything until the fans stop booing me!"

I also understand Salako, who will be 34 a week tomorrow, was disappointed at being denied the opportunity to complete a hat-trick when team-mate Nicky Forster declined his request to take the penalty.

A source close to the club admitted: "He's not happy. The fans have really been getting on his back and given him a rough ride."

Manager Alan Pardew, though, was just pleased to see his wide man back to the form he showed when he first arrived at the club.

The boss said: "He owes us that first goal.

"He's come inside a few times and not really produced for us but that was a fantastic goal — like he'd rolled back the years."